Putnam Park Wildflowers


Flower ID: IMG_0237.JPG-05-27-2018
Flower name (scientific): Trillium flexipes Rafinesque PY: 1840. Pronunciation guide: (phonetic spelling) TRIL-ee-um FLEKS-ih-pees
Flower name (common): Drooping Trillium
Family name (common): Bunchflower
Family name (scientific): Melanthiaceae
Scientific name origin:
     Genus: From the Latin tres for three and lilium for lily, hence triple lily, plant parts in threes.
    Specific epithet: Pliant-stalked.
Common name origin: From the flower bending forward and the triple-leaf morphology of the plant.
Flower description:
     Size: 1.0 to 1.5 inches (2.5 to 3.8 cm)
     Petal count: 3
     Color: white
     Other: flower arrangement, Solitary
Plant description:
     Size: 8 to 20 inches (20 to 51 cm)
     Stem hairy:
     Other:
Leaf description: (actually bracts) attachment is whorl, type is simple
     Size: Leaves up to 15 cm long and as least as wide as long.
     Color:
     Hairy:
     Other: Shape: leaf, (actually bracts) rhombic (FNA), broadly obovate or broadly rhombic-oval (IL)
Origin (native, introduced, invasive): Native
Status (common, uncommon, threatened, rare): Common
Bloom time (typical): May to June
Cycle (annual, biennial, perennial): Perennial
Habitat: Woodlands, forests, shade or part shade, wet to moist.
Fruit:
Seed:
Importance to wildlife:
Similar species (if any): Trillium cernuum (Nodding Trillium) has a close resemblance. To differentiate T. flexipes from T. cernuum use the following characteristics: For T. flexipes flowers usually above the leaves, anther about 2 to 3 times longer than the filament, anthers creamy white to pale yellow in color, flower stalk to around 4 inches long, whereas T. cernuum has flowers usually below the leaves, anther about the same length as the filament, anthers pale pink to lavender-pink in color, peduncles of its flowers are usually shorter, less than around 1.5 inches in length.
Ethnobotany:
Latitude: 44.799732
Longitude: -91.508298
Altitude: 241.40
Distribution: In Wisconsin: (Buffalo, Columbia, Crawford, Dane, Eau Claire, Fond du Lac, Grant, Green, Iowa, Jefferson, Kenosha, La Crosse, Lafayette, Milwaukee, Monroe, Ozaukee, Pepin, Pierce, Polk, Racine, Richland, Rock, Sauk, Trempealeau, Vernon, Walworth, Washington, Waukesha) Click here for distribution map
In US: (AL, AR, GA, IA, IL, IN, KY, MD, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NY, OH, PA, SD, TN, VA, WI, WV) Click here for distribution map
In Canada: (ON) Click here for distribution map
References:
Synonym(s):
Basionym: na
Homotypic Synonym(s):
Heterotypic Synonym(s):
Autonym: na
Wetland Status (NC): FAC
Wetland Status (MW): FACU